Marney Cox, San Diego Association of Governments

Businesses and companies that compete for the attention of consumers need to offer products or services at a price that is profitable without a subsidy. Nor should consumers receive a subsidy to purchase specific products or services. Otherwise it is not consumer preferences that businesses conform to when supplying products and services but the objectives of a third party that believes there is a market failure, or a competitor that needs help to compete. Subsidies are a wedge, driven between businesses and consumers that affect prices and prevent needed communications in the marketplace. There are better, more appropriate ways to be “business friendly.”

Yes
14% (3)

No
86% (19)

Phil Blair, Manpower

If particular industries mean all indudtries then the answer is for sure! The meaningful difference in this growth/expansion incentive is that it is paid development fees that are reimbursed over time only after all goals have been met. If the breweries don’t grow and increase their city taxes then their paid fees will only be returned to them in proportion to their paid taxes. I agree with Councilman Mark Kersey when announcing this new program, he said We need to be looking for other niche industries like this and supporting them with similar agreements. Not just breweries but all industries.

Kelly Cunningham, National University System

While a community has the right to limit or influence industry within their jurisdictions given finite land and environmental impacts, political entities are ill equipped to pick winning and losing business ventures. The market -- consumers -- should determine business success or failure. Entrepreneurial efforts such as craft brewing may have desirable attributes and benefits to the overall economy, but it makes little sense for one business or industrial endeavor to be subsidized or favored over another. The far more functional approach is to lower regulations, ease land-use policies, lower taxes on all businesses to create jobs and generate real sustained prosperity.

Gina Champion-Cain, American International Investments

Directing public funds to the private sector can be a controversial concept. Yet, if precious funds are to be used, they should be directed towards small, local, entrepreneurial businesses in proven growing industries. Small local breweries are unable to attract the private capital available to other mature industries such as biotech, defense or telecom. These relatively small subsidies we are talking about are important and will fortify San Diego's position as a leader in the craft brewing category, thus creating another growth cluster for the local economy. Cheers to that!

Alan Gin, University of San Diego

By targeting development efforts, San Diego can more efficiently use its resources. Rather than using a broad approach, businesses that have a good community fit can be targeted instead. This has been done before, with industries such as telecommunications, biotechnology, software, and finance being targeted in the 1990s. This is particularly good for helping home-grown San Diego companies, like the breweries. While there is the possibility of missing out on opportunities by focusing on a few industries, San Diego is one of the top cities for innovative companies. So we have plenty of growth opportunities already that may need just a little bit of support to take off.